Can see huge fish, just can't catch them

[Colston Newton]

Those guys on the bridge look like they could be 8 years old at heart. At that moment, there were no aches, no pains, no groans or sore backs. It was all about the fish and those 4 little boys in grown up clothes. A truly timeless photo.

LoTech, you absolutely nailed it. Until I saw your comment I hadn't thought about how, when I'm fishing, I'm the same little bugger I was almost 60 years ago, fascinated with what was behind or under every rock and hidden beneath the swirls of water.

[bobbyg]

Thanks for sharing the picture Colston.

I can relate!

Bob

[farleycat]

I have to tell you...I live about two miles from that bridge. They call that little stream the "run". It flows from the pond down to Yellow Breeches. Don't know why for sure but the run is almost devoid of fish. Use to be you could spot them everywhere...now not so much. I like to pop down in the morning or evening for an hour or so. Right at the point where the lake empties into the run there is a deep pool that all the locals call the "kiddie" pool. On a bad day I've been known to fish that spot to bolster my ego. When I get my new camera I'll take some pictures of the run and post. Couple of weeks from now the white fly hatch is coming...good time to be on the Yellow Breeches.
Bernie

[Clay]

Went out chasin' fish most of the day but not the big trout that started this thread. Len, not same location but willing to share - Maybe the Len / Joe team can strike again. The one spot that I am thinking about is difficult to access because to get into the water the only way is to get close to the water while doing so. In other words you can't approach the hole unseen from any angle that I know of. I'm going to have to learn how to fly soon I see.

Love the photo of the old boys on the bridge, seriously cool.

Like the idea of the pink worm. Giant San Juan indeed. Thinking 1/8 oz jig, with gulp minnow and my 7 wt and 1X keader, Total frustration is the name of the game.

I want to throw my hands in the air and stomp around like a 5 year old and that's not becoming of an old man like me.

[Night Angler]

I get ahold of VEE....

if your seeing fish like that taking nothing...

well then I start think of "Out of the box flies"..... like a BIG nasty spider (not no little bluegill catcher!)... or maybe a big mouse falling off the bridge..

Just how big are they..
when I hear big... I think 25inches or bigger


other then that...

Id try to catch his a$$ at night!!


Leonard

[george9219]

Those fish are there for a reason, and they are feeding on something. Try to get there at different times of the day/evening, and see if you can see what they are feeding on. It is possible they are nocturnal feeders, and just hang out in that spot during the day.

As someone else mentioned....are you sure they are trout? Unless they are fairly recent stockies, it would be a bit unusual to see a bunch of big trout hanging around in close proximity.

[Lotech]

Colston,
The credit goes to you my friend. Or should I say your lovely librarian friend.

[Kerry Stratton]

Perhaps a different technique is in order. Swing something big across the surface of the water right over the top of those fish making a nice wake behind it. Hang on if you do, you may be surprised.

Out here we call the technique waking or skating flies and it is very effective for summer run steelhead. Sometimes they will swim up behind the waking fly and it will look something like jaws coming up from the depths as the water bulges up behind the fly just before the fish slams it. A take one never forgets no matter how many times it happens.

[DazWah]

I would rather figure 500 ways how to not trick that to resort to night fishing, i like fly fishing as a challenge and would rather watch the fish take the fly, to me that is the most rewarding part. I seem to have good success with black wooly worms with clipped brown hackle.

[Steven]

I'm thinking of a spot I know in SWWI - fairly well known. Small creek dumps into a big pool that I would guess was caused by the bridge that crosses the river at this point.

You can see dozens (hundreds?) of fish from the bridge just downstream of the bridge in the pool.

I'm betting this is a similar situation?

I imagine there's food coming down from the running water but the pool has nearly no discernible current. It's like a pond. And trout aren't territorial in stillwater. They'll congregate.

I've had good success on dries casting down stream from upstream of the bridge. The fish will come up under the bridge in the shade.

At this time of year, try a beetle or hopper. Cast it out and let it sit. If nothing comes up after a bit, try to pop it a little like fishing for gills on a lake.